Bed bugs can be dark yellow, red or brown adults are around five millimetres long fully grown, oval shaped and flattened body.
Young Bed bugs in general can be smaller, translucent or whitish-yellow in color; if not recently fed, can be nearly invisible to the naked eye because of coloring and size.
Bed bug eggs in general are tiny, the size of a pinhead pearl-white in color, and marked by an eye spot if more than five days old.
They can hide in many places including on bed frames mattresses, clothing Furniture behind pictures and even under loose wallpaper. you may have bed bugs if you’ve noticed little bites which often occur on skin which is exposed while sleeping and this is things like the face the neck and the arms you may have noticed spots of blood on your bedding this is from the bites or from squashing a bed bug you may also have noticed small brown spots on bedding or Furniture this is bed bug poo.
Signs And Symptoms Of Bed Bugs
Bed bug bites can be raised or itchy and they’re often in a line or grouped together on white skin bed bug bites usually look red whereas on black or brown skin they may look purple and they may be harder to see some people can have a reaction to the bites this can be very itchy and they may be painful swellings and very rarely
Some people can develop a severe allergic reaction which is called anaphylaxis this is where the tongue and the face swell and this is a medical emergency and the person must seek urgent medical treatment straight away.
So if you’ve got bed bug bites well how do you treat them well the good news is that they usually clear up on their own within a week or so things that you can do at home to help include putting on something cool like a clean damp cloth on the affected area to help with the itching and any swelling keeping the affected area clean and trying not to scratch the bites this is to avoid getting a secondary infection.
Now if you’re still finding the bites of bothersome then your local pharmacist should be able to help you they can advise on things such as a mild steroid cream this is something like hydrocortisone cream this can ease the bed bug bite however children under 10 years of age and pregnant women should get advice from a doctor before using hydro.
They may also advise you on antihistamines these may help if the bites are very itchy and you’re not able to sleep now if these things don’t work and the bites are still very painful swollen or itchy after trying these treatments from a pharmacist then you should see a doctor similarly if the pain or swelling around the bites is spreading you might have an infection and you may need treatment with antibiotics and again you’ll need to see a doctor.
How To Get Rid Of These Little Critters
If you’re worried about bug bites or feel like you need medical help, it’s always best to ask a healthcare professional for advice. If you suspect that you have bed bugs, contact your local Council or Pest Control service. It can be hard to get rid of bed bugs because they’re challenging to locate, and they might be resistant to certain insecticides.
However, there are some things you can try on your own. Washing affected bedding and clothing at a high temperature (60 degrees C or more) can help. Tumble drying them on a hot setting for at least 30 minutes can also be effective. Additionally, you can place affected clothing or bedding in a plastic bag and put it in the freezer for three to four days.
It’s also important to clean and vacuum regularly because bed bugs can be found in both clean and dirty places. By doing so, you can spot them earlier and get rid of them more quickly. There are three things to avoid: keeping clutter around your bed, bringing second-hand furniture indoors without checking it first, and not checking your luggage or clothing for bed bugs before bringing them inside after traveling. Once you have bed bugs, they can be challenging to eliminate, so it’s best to take preventative measures.
